Blood had reached a small oasis. There was a shallow river of water, and trees which grew and towered over most creatures. If one were to go on for a bit further, then they would reach a small forest. Velociraptors didn't really go that far, they would only go to the edge of the oasis for a refreshing drink. Nearby shrubs sprouted, and Blood was carefully stepping over them and moving towards the stream.

Dune was not far away- in fact, he was behind one of those shrubs. At no point was he detected, and he flexed his claws in anticipation. He watched her carefully move to the body of water, lower herself, and take a few sips, jaws opening and closing ever so slightly.

('Look, he can't even talk because he's so close to death!')

Dune growled softly, and moved away from the shrub, revealing himself. Blood was facing away from him, so she did not notice his presence. She merely kept on drinking, legs half submerged in the liquid.

('You did it... and you're right. He is nothing.')

Dune raised himself up to his full size, and took a step forward.

Blood stopped drinking. She froze for a moment, her nostrils flaring, and her breath came out as a shudder. Slowly, she raised up her head, and turned around. Her electric blue eyes widened when she realised just who had been waiting behind her. There was a small reticence, as if she was arguing with herself on if what she was seeing was real or not- he was meant to be dead, after all. But there was no mistaking those white markings on his black feathers, or that scar torn into his chest by his sister.

It was Him.

It was Dune.

Dune snorted, staring at her with the smallest hint of hatred in his eyes. Apart from that, the rest of him revealed absolutely no sign of feeling. His tail was not raised, his teeth were not bared- he merely stood there silently, staring at her.

'H-how are you still alive?' She asked, her voice trembling.

Fool. You should be running.

Dune narrowed his eyes, and took another step forward.

She babbled on some more, but he was not paying attention to whatever silly question she was spouting. There was only one thing on his mind.

He took yet another step, feeling water envelop his foot. Her face, which twisted into fear as he inched ever closer, was not what Dune could see- he could only see her smirking at him as he lay on the verge of death, surrounded by her comrades. Among those insignificant faces, there had only been one which had meant anything to him- and it most certainly had not been hers.

Instantly, Blood turned and ran, splashing water up into the air and screeching out in instinctive terror as she sprinted along the small waves. Dune gave chase, his predatory lust fuelling him. The pungent stench of her fear was sucked into his nostrils; his mouth salivated in response. His eyes were narrowed, following her with the insatiable will to kill.

He felt a powerful tingle in his jaws. He wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh, to paint her burgundy feathers with glistening red. She had to die. She had to die. She had to die.

She had hurt him, therefore, she had to die.

The first signs of the forest began to sprout up from either side of the river- plants shot up into the air, bigger and more beautiful than any Dune had ever seen. Trees, which were of an almost mythical status to creatures of the desert, lay at the corners of his eyes, vines intertwining between them. But he did not care. He was incapable of appreciating beauty, or feeling awe or amazement.

He could see his target was beginning to tire. She began to wheeze, and very gradually, her speed was starting to slow. But he did not feel any such exhaustion. He only felt bloodlust. He increased his pace, pumping his legs faster and faster. Her whimpers became audible to him as he closed in on her, coming in for the kill.

He flung out his winged arms in front of him, claws gleaming like obsidian blades. He could hear Blood start to sob, knowing that her end was coming. He felt no mercy- something he had lost from the tendrils of his wretched soul a long time ago, for now his soul had withered to the point of non-existence.

His tongue lolled out. Her fearful stench was overwhelming. He craved her fluids, her insides, her flesh. He wanted her. And she was within his reach.

Suddenly, Blood turned, and as fast as a comet she jumped at him, crying out hysterically. Madness lay in her wide eyes, and she burned them into Dune's own as she flung herself against him and dug her claws into his shoulder. Dune grimaced as he felt a sting on his shoulder, and Blood drew her face close to his and growled 'Back off!' with her shaking voice.

Dune did not respond. He merely glared at her, a small growl rising at the back of his throat, savouring the smell of her fear. Drool dripped from his maw, which was open by just a crack.

'I said back off!' Blood repeated, sinking her talons deeper. Her arm trembled- no, her entire body trembled, in terror.

Dune, silent as the dark void of space, raised his arm and raked his sharp claws across the side of Blood's face, damaging her eye. Instantly, she let go of him and scrambled a few steps away, screaming out and clutching her eye. Dune just watched her, his cold amber gaze harder than a shard of ice. His saliva collected and dripped to the water below him, whose splashes conceived small ripples.

He marched towards her.

'Stop! Don't come any closer!' Blood snarled, still clutching her eye, while stretching out her other arm in front of her in panic. Crimson welled up between her silver-scaled fingers and oozed out.

But Dune did not stop. Blood scrambled backwards, her chest heaving quickly.

'I'm warning you!' She quickly leaned down and picked up a jagged rock from the riverbed, holding it tightly in her claws. The rock was light grey, with darker streaks slashing through it, and it was drenched in water.

Suddenly, Dune sprinted forwards. Blood cried out and hit the rock against his cranium while jumping out of the way. It punctured the top of his head, and drops of red tipped the stone. He felt the top of his skull throb, and aggressively, he whipped around to face a very terrified Blood. Tears brimmed her eyes. Seeing her tears and her terror reminded Dune of the day everything changed, the day the one he trusted the most betrayed him and left him in the dust to die. His old self would have felt sympathy for her- he would have stopped his torment of her, and respond in horror to his cruel actions. But his old self had died a long time ago.

He began circling his victim, eyeing her like a Tarbosaurus stalking wounded prey. Her hand had come off her face, and what remained of her eye slid down her visage. Her other eye followed him, wide and watery.

Dune ran to her again, and surprisingly, she dropped her rock and sprinted towards him, screaming. The two pounced up and flung out their claws in front of them. Flying through the air, Dune could feel the atmosphere flow through his feathers as a pleasant breeze.

The two contacted for just a moment. Blood slashed at Dune's side with the talons on her hand. Dune kicked his foot against her body, briefly stabbing her soft flesh with his sickle claw. Using the powerful muscles on his leg, he pushed her from him.

He fell away from her, and landed neatly on his two feet. Blood fell onto her back and produced a huge splash as she impacted the water. Dune, without thinking twice, ran to the stunned raptor and planted his foot onto her throat, forcing her head under the water. For a moment, she stirred, then suddenly, she wriggled underneath him. She writhed and quickly began slashing and pulling at Dune's leg. Her jaws opened into a silent scream, and bubbles spewed from her mouth. Dune did not budge.

Blood gripped Dune's limb, digging in her claws, yet no matter how hard she tried, he simply didn't move. She could feel the water clog her nostrils, and her heart race as she realised she couldn't breathe. Desperation arose as all the breath left inside had departed her mouth as she tried to cry out in utter futility. She needed oxygen, and she needed it now. She just needed to break through the surface of the water to inhale the sweet air a mere centimetre from her nostrils.

Dune began to become somewhat annoyed at how much fight still remained in his victim. She knew just as well as he did that she could do nothing to escape her impending doom at his hands. He watched her in sick curiosity for a few more moments, watching her resist, watching her furious and fearful eye bulge and stare in defiance.

Nonchalantly, he stabbed the sickle claw on his foot into her throat. She spasmed, becoming blind with pain, her eye rolling upwards mindlessly and her jaw gaping. Blood's blood wafted out into the water as a cloud of red, growing bigger and bigger as it all spewed out of her throat. Dune saw her nostrils sucking in the edges of the red cloud. Slowly, her spasms started to weaken, and he stepped off of her. Her lungs were bursting with water and her own blood, and her windpipe had been punctured- there was no way she could survive.

Finally, Blood went completely still. Dune exhaled, standing placid for a few silent moments, then quietly scratched his head with his clawed hand, not taking his eyes off the being who he had turned into a lifeless corpse. The bright sun was reflected upon the ripples of crystal red waters.

(One down, four to go. Soon, sister, we shall meet again. I look forward to it.)